in the reports from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who said:

“And when he prays sitting, all of you should pray sitting.”

There are three views on this issue:

One view is that a seated person may not lead a standing person in prayer, and that such leadership was a privilege exclusive to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). This is the view of Mālik and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan.

Another view is that he may lead them while they stand, and that the command to sit has been abrogated. This is the view of Abū Hanīfah and al-Shāfiʿī.

A third view is that the command remains in force. More than one Companion acted upon it after the death of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), including Usayd ibn Hudayr and others. This is the position of Hammād ibn Zayd, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and others. According to this position, if the followers pray standing, there are two views regarding the validity of their prayer.

The point here is that congregational prayer is performed according to what is possible. If a follower can only follow his imam by standing ahead of him, the most that can be said is that he has forgone the prescribed position for the sake of congregational prayer. This is a lesser concession than the others mentioned. A similar case is that of someone who is forbidden to pray alone behind the row: if he finds no one to stand beside him and does not draw anyone over to pray with him, he should pray alone behind the row rather than forgo congregational prayer, just as